Monday, June 28, 2010

The Amazing Burger/Meatloaf Recipe Exchange

Last Monday, so many of you talked about your unique meatloaf recipes that I wanted to follow up with a recipe exchange. I thought I’d introduce a brand new meatloaf based on one of my favorite dishes, a Cuban delight called Picadillo.

Because Picadillo isn’t made as a loaf, but rather a loose mixture. I adapted my recipe by taking out the water. After I had it mixed, my husband decided he was in the mood for burgers, so I took out the tomato paste, shaped the meat mixture into 5 patties, slapped them on my Foreman grill and - OH, WOW! Talk about a deelish dish! And perfect for the upcoming Fourth of July barbeques.

So here it is if you want to give this Cuban-inspired entree a try. Use super lean ground beef, ground turkey or chicken, and make it as a meatloaf, burger, or, if you want to make it in the traditional way (sloppy Joe style) add in 3 tbls of tomato paste, enough water to make it sloppy, then saute the entire mix until meat is cooked, and serve it over yellow rice or on buns. Versatile, isn’t it?

And now it’s your turn. I’d love to see your all time favorite meatloaf OR burger recipe. We’ll have a whole summer’s worth of dishes to try. Are you game?

Saute onion, garlic, and pepper until softened. Mix into the meat with the rest of the ingredients. Shape into meatloaf or individual burgers. Grill burgers until pink in the center – or bake meatloaf at 350 degrees F for an hour or until top looks brown.